Speed Graphic Film and Video | Hollywood Outtakes: Los Angeles Streets at Night, 1949 @SpeedGraphicFilmVideo | Uploaded February 2023 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
I don't know what film these shots were taken for, but they're the classic background shots for a car-interior scene: one shot left, one right, and one straight back. The background in this case is the streets of Los Angeles on some night in 1949. Mixed in with the automobiles and people are the streetcars of the Pacific Electric and the Los Angeles Railways. The process of replacing streetcars with buses would begin in a year or two.
0:11 The first shot starts on Third Street, headed east.
0:17 Crossing Spring Street.
0:32 As we turn north onto Main Street, we can see the big sign on the Hotel Barclay a block away. On Main Street, the standard-gauge Pacific Electric cars share the street with the narrow-gauge LA Railway cars, hence the three-rail right-of-way.
0:47 The Harbor Cafe (263 S. Main) is on the right.
1:02 A stop at the intersection with Second Street.
1:22 Club 153 is on the right.
1:35 Turning east onto First Street.
1:55 Crossing Los Angeles Street.
2:21 Crossing San Pedro Street. The Civic Inn (254 E 1st) and the Miyako Hotel (258 E. 1st) are on the left.
2:27 The second shot starts on Main Street around Fourth Street, headed south.
2:34 The banner at the burlesque house says "Bumps and Grinds of Forty-Nine."
2:49 Passing the Hotel Rosslyn (112 W. 5th St.) In window reflection, we can see the marquee of the Regent Theater (448 S. Main).
2:55 The Rosslyn's Turquoise Room neon sign advertises cocktails and television.
3:09 Passing the Gayety Theater (523 S. Main St.).
3:13 Another marquee advertises the films "The Counterfeiters" (released May 1948) and "Canadian Pacific" (released May 1949).
3:15 Parking costs 25¢ and hour while a Frosty Malt is 10¢. A billboard advertises the Santa Fe Railway, saying, "Why drive to Chicago? Costs less... El Capitan."
3:19 Turning east on Sixth Street.
3:48 Crossing Los Angeles Street, we see an entrance to the Pacific Electric building.
3:54 Behind the Standard gas station are the elevated platforms of the Pacific Electric.
4:25 In the distance, we can see the Hotel Cecil's (640 S. Main) illuminated sign.
4:30 Headed East on Third Street, passing Eagleson's (259 S. Spring).
4:50 Once again, turning north on Main Street.
5:00 Second time passing The Harbor.
5:34 Second time passing Club 153.
5:54 Once again, turning east on First Street.
6:21 Except for the liquor store signs, not many lights on on this side of the street.
I'm not familiar with Los Angeles, so I've done the best I could with old maps and directories to try to figure out locations in this video. If you have corrections or additions, please leave a comment.
I try not to re-use music in my video, but these tracks from Miles Davis (soundtrack music for Elevator to the Scaffold) are my film-noir gotos!